We're the most pickleball obsessed state? Not so fast.
Credit: Jesse Scott
Florida has countless courts, packed tournaments and enough paddle talk to fill every kitchen from Fort Lauderdale to Naples. Yet according to one new ranking, four states are somehow more pickleball-obsessed.
CanadaSportsBetting.ca placed Florida fifth among U.S. states and eighth across North America with a Pickleball Obsession Index score of 6.30. Hawaii captured the continental crown, followed by Prince Edward Island, Utah, Vermont, British Columbia, Colorado and Ontario.
That leaves Hawaii, Utah, Vermont and Colorado ahead of Florida among American states. Yes, three Canadian provinces beat us, too. WTF.
Florida certainly wins on sheer size. Researchers counted 7,674 courts across 1,485 locations, giving the Sunshine State the largest court inventory anywhere in the study. Florida also produced 280,500 annual pickleball searches, the biggest total among the continental top 10, plus a Google Trends score of 85. Only Hawaii posted stronger Google Trends interest among the higher-ranked states.
Perhaps Florida’s massive population hurt its per-capita results. The state recorded 6.33 venues and 1,196 annual searches per 100,000 residents, with its venue rate finishing last among the top 10.
Researchers calculated the rankings using venues per 100,000 residents for half the score, yearly pickleball searches per 100,000 residents for 30% and regional Google Trends interest for 20%.
Color us skeptical, fellow picklers. South Florida alone has The Fort in Fort Lauderdale, the coming Boca Paddle Club and courts seemingly at every turn. Add Naples’ U.S. Open Pickleball Championships complex, and fifth place sounds like a stretch.
